System and method for enhancing user experience in a wide-area facility having a distributed, bounded environment

• US 6,813,608 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2000
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lo-Q PLC
• Original Assignee: Park-Tours Incorporated
• Inventors: Baranowski, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, James W.
• Application Number:
  US09/525,340
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 705/64, 705/5, 705/6
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A wireless system, including a system controller, and a portable device with wireless connection to the wireless system, can be used to link customers to the operations of a business. This link can be used to increase customer efficiency in the use of the business, including scheduling appointments to avoid lines, viewing customer locations on an interactive map, and tracking the locations of other customers traveling in a group. This link also allows the customer to initiate searches for information or products and to make electronic purchases. The business can use the link to send information or advertisements directly to select customers.

Claims

1. A system for supporting customer use of a wide-area facility which is under a common management or ownership, the system comprising:

a plurality of transceiver bases distributed throughout said wide-area facility which is under common management or ownership;

a system controller in communication with said transceiver bases; and

at least one portable device carried by a customer who is using said wide-area facility, wherein said portable device communicates wirelessly with said plurality of transceiver bases and said system controller;

wherein said system controller transmits information to said portable device about said wide-area facility; and

wherein said system controller and said portable device maintain a schedule of reservations for said customer to use attractions of said wide-area facility.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said system controller is connected to a web host so that customers can access said system controller over the Internet through said web host to generate said schedule of reservations to use attractions of said wide-area facility.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said customer communicates with said system controller using said portable device to create, edit or review said schedule of reservations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said system controller transmits reminders of reservations on said schedule reservations to said portable device carried by said customer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device displays a suggested route from said customer'"'"'s current location to a next attraction on said schedule of reservations.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an identification device reader at a preferential entrance to an attraction for admitting a customer to said attraction at said time corresponding to that customer'"'"'s reservation to use that attraction, said device reader admitting said customer to said attraction upon presentation of an identification device, readable by said device reader, that identifies said customer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said wide-area facility is an amusement park and said attractions are attractions of said amusement park.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said system monitors a location of said portable device;

and said portable device volunteers information about said wide-area facility based on said location of said portable device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said portable device displays advertising based on said location of said portable device within said wide-area facility.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said system monitors a location of said portable device;

and said portable device volunteers information about said wide-area facility based on said location of said portable device and a schedule of attractions within said wide-area facility.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said system monitors a location of said portable device and said schedule of reservations is adjusted based upon said location of said portable device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said portable device further comprises a user input device connected to a controller that is executing purchasing software, and

said customer makes purchases from said wide-area facility by authorizing a charge for a specified item with said user input device of said portable device which is processed by said purchasing software and communicated to said system controller.

7. The system of 1, wherein said system controller determines a location of said portable device and compares said location to a time required to travel to an attraction for which a next reservation is listed in said schedule of reservations.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said system controller contacts said customer through said portable device to change said next reservation if said time required to travel to that attraction exceeds a time before said next reservation.

15. A system for supporting customer use of a wide-area facility which is under a common management or ownership, the system comprising:

a plurality of transceiver bases distributed throughout said wide area facility which is under common management or ownership; and

at least one portable device carried by a customer who is using said wide-area facility, wherein said portable device communicates wirelessly with said plurality of transceiver bases;

wherein said portable device displays information about said wide-area facility or about goods, services, attractions, exhibits or amenities within said wide-area facility based on communication with said transceiver bases, including a map of said wide-area facility;

wherein said system determines a current location of said portable device in said wide-area facility; and

wherein, upon selection on said map of a particular point of said wide-area facility through a user interface of said portable device, said portable device determines and displays a suggested route to said particular point from said current location of said portable device;

wherein said communication between said portable device and said transceiver bases identifies said current location of said portable device within said wide-area facility;

wherein said portable device volunteers information about said wide-area facility based on said location of said portable device and a schedule of attractions within said wide-area facility that a user of said portable device has made.

16. A system for supporting customer use of a wide-area facility which is under a common management or ownership, the system comprising:

a plurality of transceiver bases distributed throughout said wide area facility which is under common management or ownership; and

at least one portable device carried by a customer who is using said wide-area facility, wherein said portable device communicates wirelessly with said plurality of transceiver bases;

wherein said portable device displays information about said wide-area facility or about goods, services, attractions, exhibits or amenities within said wide-area facility based on communication with said transceiver bases, including a map of said wide-area facility;

wherein said system determines a current location of said portable device in said wide-area facility; and

wherein, upon selection on said map of a particular point of said wide-area facility through a user interface of said portable device, said portable device determines and displays a suggested route to said particular point from said current location of said portable device;

wherein said portable device maintains a schedule of reservations for said customer to use attractions of said wide-area facility.

17. A system for supporting customer use of a wide-area facility which is under a common management or ownership, the system comprising:

a plurality of transceiver bases distributed throughout said wide area facility, which is under common management or ownership; and

at least one portable device carried by a customer who is using said wide-area facility, wherein said portable device communicates wirelessly with said plurality of transceiver bases;

wherein said portable device displays information about said wide-area facility or about goods, services, attractions, exhibits or amenities within said wide-area facility based on communication with said transceiver bases, including a map of said wide-area facility;

wherein said system determines a current location of said portable device in said wide-area facility;

wherein, upon selection on said map of a particular point of said wide-area facility through a user interface of said portable device, said portable device determines and displays a suggested route to said particular point from said current location of said portable device;

wherein said communication between said portable device and said transceiver bases identifies said current location of said portable device within said wide-area facility; and

wherein said portable device maintains a schedule of reservations for said customer to use attractions of said wide-area facility, wherein said schedule of reservations is adjusted based upon said location of said portable device.

18. A system for supporting customer use of a wide-area facility which is under a common management or ownership, the system comprising:

a plurality of wireless bases distributed throughout said wide-area facility which is under common management or ownership; and

at least one portable device carried by a customer who is using said wide-area facility, wherein said portable device communicates wirelessly with said plurality of bases;

wherein said system monitors a location of said portable device; and

wherein said portable device volunteers information about said wide-area facility based on said location of said portable device and a schedule of attractions within said wide-area facility;

further comprising a system controller in communication with said bases;

wherein said system controller and said portable device maintain a schedule of reservations for said customer to use attractions of said wide-area facility.

19. A system for supporting customer use of an amusement park in which customers line up to experience various attractions of said amusement park, the system comprising:

a plurality of transceiver bases distributed throughout said amusement park;

a system controller in communication with said transceiver bases; and

at least one portable device carried by a customer who is visiting said amusement park, wherein said portable device communicates wirelessly with said plurality of transceiver bases and said system controller;

wherein said system controller and said portable device maintain a schedule of reservations for said customer to use said attractions of said amusement park.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said system controller is connected to a web host so that customers can access said system controller over the Internet through said web host to generate said schedule of reservations to use attractions of said amusement park.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said customer communicates with said system controller using said portable device to create, edit or review said schedule of reservations for said attractions of said amusement park.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said system controller transmits reminders of reservations on said schedule of reservations to said portable device carried by said customer.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said system monitors a location of said portable device in said amusement park.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said portable device displays a suggested route from a customer'"'"'s current location to a next attraction on said schedule of reservations.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said schedule of reservations is adjusted based on said location of said portable device in comparison with locations of attractions on said schedule of reservations.

26. The system of claim 19, further comprising a preferential entrance to an attraction for admitting a customer to said attraction at a time corresponding to that customer'"'"'s reservation to use that attraction.